A delegation of Aam Aadmi Party’s teachers’ organisation, AADTA, met Education Minister Ms. Atishi. The delegation apprised her of the deliberate delay in the formation of the governing body at 28 Delhi government-funded colleges by the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University. They also informed the Education Minister that this politically motivated step of the VC is impacting the administrative functioning of the colleges severely. Along with the delegation, MLA Shri Sanjeev Jha was also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the president of the association, Professor Aditya Narayan Mishra, said, “The deliberate delay in the process of formation of a governing body at government-funded colleges by the DU Vice-Chancellor is a contempt of decisions taken in a democratic manner. Appointment of any employee at government-funded colleges in the absence of a governing body is illegal. At the behest of the Vice-Chancellor, instead of accommodating ad-hoc teachers in government colleges, principals are imposing their arbitrary decisions. It is the governing body’s responsibility to ensure the appointment of principals and making ad-hoc teachers permanent at colleges, this step of the vice-chancellor is politically motivated.”
Professor Mishra added that it had been more than a month since the list of nominated people for the formation of governing bodies in government-funded colleges had been sent to the Vice-Chancellor’s office, yet the Vice-Chancellor was deliberately delaying it. This list was sent by the Delhi Government to the Vice-Chancellor’s office on January 28, and in this regard, a reminder was also sent to the Vice-Chancellor on February 21, 2023, by the then Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Manish Sisodia. Despite this, the process of governing body formation had been put on the back burner. Professor Mishra claimed that this move of the Vice-Chancellor was politically motivated.
Professor Mishra said that the intention behind the delay in the formation of the governing body in colleges was to overturn the Delhi Government’s decision to absorb the ad-hoc teachers. He stated that the Vice Chancellor was arbitrarily flouting the rules and that his move to delay the process intentionally was politically motivated. Professor Mishra provided an example for the same, stating, “This was seen at Bharti College, where on 15 February 2023, the Assistant Registrar of the college sent nominations of 3 people to the governing body, which is a complete violation of section 30 (1). In Delhi government-funded colleges, nominations are to be sent by the government to the governing body in these colleges. On being questioned about the list of nominees sent by the Delhi Government, the Vice-Chancellor cited technical issues.”
Professor Mishra continued, “The University administration is in a hurry to conduct the interview for the Principals with the sole intention of making the present acting principals permanent. So that politically connected people can be appointed to this post before the nominee of the Delhi Government becomes a member of the governing body. It is clear from this that Vice-Chancellors are trying to make political appointments by delaying the governing body formation and reversing the efforts of the Delhi Government to absorb ad-hoc and temporary teachers in colleges.”
According to the rulebook of Delhi University, whatever names will be included in the governing body, will be approved by the executive council. A week before the Executive Council meeting in DU on February 3, the then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had sent a list of names for the governing body of 28 colleges. But despite this, these names were not considered. On January 27, the then Deputy Chief Minister wrote a letter to the DU Vice-Chancellor and clearly stated that the Delhi Government was in favour to accommodate the ad-hoc teachers where they were working. The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the Delhi Government believed that these teachers must not be displaced because the livelihood of these teachers is at stake. But by then, DU had removed more than 70 percent of the ad-hoc teachers.
It is to be noted that due to the delay in the formation of the governing body in Delhi government-funded colleges, administrative functions are being hampered in them. The 28 colleges funded by the Delhi Government are being run by a small body that lacks representation from the Delhi Government. This essentially means that all decisions, especially those that may have a financial impact on the government, cannot be made by the College without the involvement of a fully functioning governing body. In the absence of the governing body, the ability of the College to take important decisions regarding promotions, appointments, and other issues relating to operations would be severely hampered. The Delhi Government wants that there should not be any interviews in these 28 colleges without the formation of a governing body, because the Delhi government intends to create a system that will give priority to the absorption of existing ad-hoc teachers.
